Enjoy a business-building, 13-minute webinar, on us! View webinar here: http://info.trewmarketing.com/trew-talks-case-studies In this TREW Talk, TREW Content expert Morgan Norris steps you through a crash course in creating lead-generating case studies that will build credibility for your products and services. This informative tutorial takes you from initially securing a case study with a customer to promoting your case study through a variety of marketing channels, with templates, timelines, and checklists to help you along the way. This TREW Talk includes: - Real-world examples of effective studies - A step-by-step outline of the case study content development process - Ready-to-use templates, timelines, and checklists to create your first case studies - Promotional ideas to help you reach the most potential customers possible with your case study - And more! Download our free marketing guide to learn how to make every dollar and hour of your marketing investment count : http://www.trewmarketing.com/smartmarketing/index.php

1. Case Studies
Best Practices
1

2. MORGAN NORRIS,
COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST
2

3. Case Studies
• Why Case Studies?
• Examples
• Process
• Structure
3

4. WHY CASE STUDIES?
4

5. Goal
• Developing an easily-reusable piece of content that can be used to
advocate for the company to prospective customers
5

6. Benefits
• Showcase successes to prove validity
• Leverage customers’ names
• Give examples of the processes and end results for potential clients
• Relate to potential customers’ current challenges
• Reward customers
6

7. Uses for a Case Study
• Sales leave-behind
• Inclusion in corporate slides
• Online content
• Basis for a news release
• Pitch to journalists for coverage
• Customer reference
7

8. EXAMPLES
8

9. NASDAQ
Strengths
• Charts show factual
detail, give a quick
picture of results
• “Why Schwab
Switched” bullets
show relatable
benefits
• Customer quote
provides validity
9

10. Microsoft
Strengths
• Solutions overview
gives a snapshot of
a customer, and
helps a reader
relate to the
challenges
• Quote validates
solution
10

11. Cisco
Strengths
• Results-driven
headline draws a
reader in
• Stats box gives
specific results that
will relate to
readers
11

12. PROCESS
12

13. Process
• Relatable challenges
Select success stories • Quantifiable results
Nurture the relationship • Ask early and during negotiations
• Initial interview/questionnaire
Do the work • Write the case study
• Relatable challenge and quantifiable solution
Get to the specifics • Headline, subhead, quote, and image caption
• Highlight specific areas to review, include any images/screen shots
Make approval easy • Include a quote that can later be used for website, news releases
• Showcase on website
Advocate the success • Pitch to media
13

14. Timeline
Task Working Days
Finalize Questions 2 days
Interview Customer (phone or email) 1 day or 5 days if email
Create draft 5-7 days
Review internally 2 days
Incorporate internal feedback 1 day
Deliver to customer for review 4 days
Revise document 2 days
Review internally 2 days
Incorporate internal feedback 1 day
Deliver to customer for final review 4 days
Finalize 2 days
Publicize
14

15. Interview Questions
1. Describe the application or project.
2. What problem was your customer trying to solve?
3. Describe problems they faced with previous solutions, or pros and cons
of other solutions they considered.
4. What product capabilities are they using in this application?
5. Using your products, what can they do that they could not do before?
6. What was the process of making your products a part of the customer’s
application?
7. How much time, money, or both are they saving with the new
application or system? Please be as specific as possible.
15

16. STRUCTURE
16

17. Content Checklist
 Headline
 Sub-headline
 Challenge
 Goal/Solution
 Specific requirements/Critical factors
 Relevant background information
 Process (solution selection and implementation)
 Results
17

18. Visuals Checklist
 Image
 Caption
 Pull Quote
18

19. Approvals Checklist
 Content signoff
 Customer information
19

20. Layout/Design
Branding
Format
20

21. Key Elements of a Case Study
Visuals
Written
Content
Layout/D
Approvals esign
21

22. Deliverable Overview
Headline that shows how customer benefitted from products/services
Subheadline can provide additional detail if necessary
Challenge: 1-2 sentences describing the problem the customer faced.
Solution: 1-2 sentences describing the solution implemented
Critical Factors
• Bulleted list of the customer top 4-5 requirements (specs, time, cost, etc.)
“Quote from the customer.” – Name, title at Company
Background Use a relevant image and
caption to help the reader
Any relevant detail about the customer or challenge (100-150 words) visualize the story.
Process
Body content, discussing the process of selecting a solution and implementing a few product/service
(300-500 words)
Results
2-3 sentences about specific results of the project, and how the company has benefitted from its new
solution. The more specific these details are, the better. (100-150 words)
Customer Contact Info
This provides credibility for the testimonial
22

23. Uses for a Case Study
• Sales leave-behind
• Inclusion in corporate slides
• Online content
• Basis for a news release
• Pitch to journalists for coverage
• Customer reference
23

24. THANKS FOR JOINING US
Download Our
Free Guide
Contact Us
info@trewmarketing.com
www.trewmarketing.com
24